Slub-catcher and yarn-cleaner



Aug 2, 1932 G. N. TAYLOR 1,870,152

SLUB CATCHER AND YARN CLEANER Filed Oct. 13, 1930 Patented Aug. 2, 1952 UNITED s'ltATEsL PATENT GFFCE GEORGE N. TAYLOR, OF EAST PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL WINDING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A. CORPORATION OF`MASSACHU- SETTS SL'UB-CATCHER AND YARN-CLEANER Application led October 13, 1930. Serial No. 488,475.

This invention relates to improvements in slab-catchers and yarn-cleaners for removing slubs, bunches, lint, motes and other foreign matter from thread, yarn and like strand material during the process of winding or otherwise transferring the material in the textile art. Y

One object of the invention is to provide a device of the type speciiied having a slit or opening through which the yarn draws with means for adjusting the width of the slit with great precision and accuracy in accordance with different sizes or thicknesses of the strand material to be operated upon.

Another object oi' the invention is to provide a device ot the type specified wherein the yarn-slit or opening is maintained of uniform width throughout its whole length under all conditions of adjustment so that the device will operate with ,maximum eiiiciency in cleaning the strand Vmaterial drawing therethrough.

Another object ot the invention is to provide a device of the type speciedwlierein the adjusting-means is extremely compact and selfcontained so not to be liable to derangement or maladjustment from outside iniiuences.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the type specified which is simple in construction, economical to manu-` facture and generally moreethcient Ji-or the purposes specified.

Further objects of the improvement are set forth in the following specification which describes a preferred form of construction of the invention, by way ot example, as illust-rated by the accompanying drawing. Inl

the drawing:

Fig. l is a rear view of the improved slubcatcher or yarn-cleaner shown with its coverplate removed to more clearly illustrate the adjusting-means for the blades which form the yarn-slit;

Fig. 2 is asimilar view showing the blades adjusted to give a greaterV width of yarnslit than that illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. ,3 is a vertical, sectional view through y the device taken on line 3 8 ot Fig. 1;

motes and other foreign matter therefrom while also detecting slubs, abnormal enlargements or bunches on the yarn to cause it to be broken whereby the imperfect section may be removed.

In the present embodiment of the invention the two opposite blades or plates 2 and 3 are mounted in a holder or standard 4 adapted for attachment to the winding machine or other apparatus with which the device is to be used. arranged to rest upon a base or support 5 which may be constituted as a part of the tension-bracket or other member of the winding machine with a bolt 7 passing up through the base and screwed into the member 4 to hold the latter in place. n

The blade-holder or supporting-member 4 may beconstructed as a casting of generally rectangular or block-shape with its upper portionof slightly less thickness than its main portion. The holder or supporting-member 4 is cut away laterally on its rearward face to provide a slot or recess 9 for receiving the two blades 2 and 3 arranged in opposite alin- Conveniently, the holder 4 is Y ing relationship; a cover-plate 10 being attached to this face of the member to hold the blades in position. Referring to Fig. 3, the cover l0 is shaped to the contour of the holder 4 and secured thereagainst by means of screws 11.

One of the blades 3, in this case the lower one, is somewhat narrower than the upper blade 2 and is arranged to slide laterally ot the. holder against the bottom edge of the re cess 9. This lower blade 3 has a straightv edge 12 adapted to be set in opposite parallel spaced relation with respect to the lower edge 13 of t-he upper blade 2 to provide a slit therebetween through which the yarn draws. The ends of the two blades 2 and 3 are inclined or beveled oif at 14 and 15, respectively, to provide a re-entrant notch or guideway for directing the strand into the slit between the edges of the blades. The oblique edge 15 ot the lower blade is continued downwardly in a guard or linger 1G to extend the surface on which the yarn is guided. of the edge 12 ot the blade 3 is cut away at 17 to provide a semicircular vent or opening through which the fluff, lint and other foreign matter accumulatingl in the slit between the blades may escape. At their inner ends the two blades 2 and 3 are formed with their edges inclined or oblique with respect to the straight edges 12 and 13 which form the yarn slit.

These two inclined edges 19 and 20 are held in abutting relationship to provide a wedge engagement whereby when the lower blade 3 is slid in one direction or the other it will cause the upper blade 2 to be adjusted vertically toward or away from the lower blade 3 to open or close the yarn-slit. That is to say, the lateral movement of the blade 8 in the holder 4 will cause the upper blade 2 t0 slide vertically to adjust the width ofthe yarn-slit between the straight ledges 12 and 13 of the blades.

The upper blade 2 is adapted to slide vertically on the standard or holder 4 through the provision of a slot or opening 21 in its upper portion, the sides of the opening straddling the sides of the holder as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5. An arched or bow-shaped leaf-spring 23 is arranged between the upper edge ot the recess 9 in the holder 4 and the edge of the slot 21 in the blade 2. The spring 23 maintains the blade 2 pressed downwardly with. its inclined edge 20 held in firm engagement with the opposite inclined edge 19 of the 'blade 3 and thus the upper blade is prevented from canting or rocking with respect to the lower blade.

For sliding the lower blade 3 to adjust the width of the yarn-slit, any suitable means may be employed and, as herein shown` I provide a rotatable eccentric or crank-pin for this purpose. As shown most clearly in Figs. 3 and 5, the eccentric comprises a stud 25 enga ging a bore 26 in the holder 4 and provided with a head 27 which seats against the bottom of a counterbore'28 opening from the recess 9 in the rearward tace of the holder. Projecting from the head 27 of the stud 25 is a crank-pin 30 arranged eccentric to the axis of the stud and adapted to engage a vertical slot 31 cut into the inclined edge 19 of the lower blade 3. t will thus be apparent that when the stud 25 is rotated the angular movement of the pin 30 will cause the blade 3 to be slid one way or the other laterally ot the The inner end holder 4 in the manner and for the purpose as later more fully explained. The lower inclined edge 2O of the blade 2 is cut away at 32 to provide clearance for the turning movement of the pin 80.

The stud 25 is provided with a hexagonal socket 33 for receiving a special wrench for use by authorized persons to turn the stud to adjust the yarn-slit to the required width. A spider-shaped concavo-convex spring 35 s held on a reduced portion 36 ot the head 27 ot the stud 25 with itsl prongs bearing against the rearward faces oi the two blades 2 and The spring is under tension to provide a kslight irictional resistance to the turning movement ot the stud 25, while also tending to hold the blades 2 and 3 pressed against the cover plate l() to trictionally resist their movement. T he method of operation oi the complete device is as follows:

lilith the parts of the slub-catcher assembled inthe manner described the width of the slit between the edges 12 and 13 of the blades 2 and 3 may be adjusted in accordance with requirements by simply inserting the proper wrench into the socket 33 of the stud 25 to rotate the latter one way or the other. Fig. 1 illustrates the blades adjusted with their edges in close relationship to provide a relatively narrow slit through which the yarn g/ draws in the manner as indicated in l? ig. 5. With this adjustment the stud 25 is turned with the crank-pin 30 to its extreme left-hand position, as viewed in Fig. 1. Whenit is required to increase the width of the slit between the scraping edges ot the blade the stud 25 is turned clockwise, as viewed in F 1, to carry the pin 30 toward its opposite extreme of throw at the right-hand side of the axis as shown in Fig. 2. This half rotation ot the 5i stud causes the pin 30 to move through 18() degrees whereby it acts on the sides of the slot 31 in the inclined edge of the blade 3 to slide the latter to the right as viewed in Figs. l and 2. As the lower blade 3 is slid to the right in this manner its inclined edge 19 acts against the oppositely inclined edge 2O of the upper blade 2 with a wedging erl'ect to slide the latter blade upwardly so that its lower edge 13 is moved away from the opposte 5 edge 12 of the blade 3 to increase the widlh ot the slit between the blades. Any degree of adjustment may be secured by turning the stud 25 to the proper extent, a gauge being so netimes employed t' y the edges ot the blades to measure the width of the slot. After the blades have once been adjusted with their scraping edges in proper relationship the tension ot the spring i maintains the parts in iixed relationship du? without chance of their becon ing accidently displaced or moved out ot' adjustment.

rl`he yarn is taken from its source of snpply, such as a bobbm, cop or other wound mass, and passed through the slit in the slubi lor insertion between catcher by drawing it along the inclined edge -15 of the lower blade 3. The end is then 'winding machine or in some other manner vmay indicate to the operator that attention is required. After this action the knot or enlargement is removed and the strand again pieced up. The yarn may play slightly along the length of the slit between the edges of the blades and thus cause the lint, fluff and other accumulation to be scraped into the opening' 17 where it is discharged.

lt will be observed from the above that my invention provides a particularly ingenious, yet simple means for effecting adjustment of a slitted slub-catcher whereby to set the same for different sizes or counts of yarn,

thread and the like. rllhe adjusting-means is enclosed and self-contained within the holder or standard of the device and is thus not liable to become deranged or to be tampered vwith by unauthorized persons. The improved adjusting-means provides for a minute adjustment of the blades under the wedging action of their inclined edges and thus the width of the yarn-slit may be determined with micrometer accuracy.' rllhe idcvice is so constructed and arrangedt-hat the slit-forming blades are held firmly and securelythrough the engagement of their inclined edges to prevent them from tilting or rocking whereby their scraping edges are maintainedin accurate parallel alinement. The whole device is thus more efficient in use and particularly well adapted for the purpose intended. A

Thilo the device is herein shown and described embodied inr a preferred form of construction, various modifications maybe made in the structure and arrangement of its parts without departing from the spirit -or scope of the in'ven on. rllherefore, without limiting myself vin this respect, l claim l;V A slab-catcher or yarn-cleaner comprising a pair of relatively movable element-s arranged with their edo'es in opposite parallel relationship to provide a slit through which the yarn draws, interengaging bearing faces on said elements inclined to the direction of the slit, resilient means for maintaining the bearing faces of said elements in engagement, andA means to effect relative sliding movement between said elements to cause the inclined bearing faces to act to move one element toward or away from the other element to adjust the width of the slit in accordance with the size of the yarn to be operated upon.

2. In a device of the type specified, the combination of a holder, a pair of blades mounted in said holder to adapt them to be moved relatively of each other, said blades arranged with their edges in opposite parallel relationship to provide a slit through which the yarn draws and having opposed cooperating faces inclined at an angle to the direction of the slit, and means to slide one blade in the holder to adjust the opposite blade toward or away therefrom to vary the width of the slit in accordance with the size of the yarn to be operated upon.

3. In a device of the type specified, the combination of a holder, a blade slidable laterally of the holder, a second blade slidable in the holder toward or away from the first blade and having its edge arranged in Vopposite parallel relation to a corresponding edge of the rst blade to provide a slit through which the yarn draws, said blades having engaging faces oppositely inclined with respect to the direction of the slit, and means to slide one of the blades to cause the inclined faces'to act to move the opposite bla-de to adjust the width of the slit therebetween.

ln a device of the type specified, the eombizfiation of holder, a blade slidablc laterally of the holder, a second blade arranged with its edge in opposite parallel relation with respect to the corresponding edge of the first blade and adapted to slide toward and away therefrom. said blades formed with opposite engaging` faces inclined to the direction of the slit, resilient means for maintaining the inclined faces of the blades in engagement, and means to slide one of the blades to cause the inclined faces to act to adjust the opposite blade toward or away therefrom to vary the width of the slit therebetween.

5. ln a device of the type specified, the combination of a holder, a blade slidable laterally of said holder, said blade formed with a. yarn-engaging edge and a face inclined thereto, a second blade slidable in the holder toward and awa-y from the first blade and having an edge arranged in opposite parallel relation with respect to the yarn-engaging edge of the first blade and an inclined face engaging the inclined face thereof, resilient means tending to press the blades toward eachother to maintain their inclined facesr in engagement, and means to slide one of the blades to cause the inclined. faces to actto move the other blade toward or away therefrom to adjust the width of the slit therebetween.

6. ln a device of the type specified, the combination of a holder, a blade slidable in the holder and having a yarn-engaging face at one side thereof and a bearing face inclined at an angle thereto, a second blade slidable in the holder toward and away from the first blade and having a yarn-engaging tace disposed in opposite parallel relation with respect to the corresponding -face on the first biade and an inclined face engaging the inclined tace on the first blade, resilient means tor holding the blades in position with their inclined faces in engagement, and a rotatable eccentric operating on one of the blades to slide the latter to cause the inclined faces to act to adjust said blades to vary the width ot the slit therebetween.

7. In a device ot' the type specified, the combination ot a holder, a blade slidable laterally ot the holder and having a yarnengaging tace projecting` from the side thereof and a bearing tace inclined thereto, a second blade slidable in the holder to-ward and away from the tirst blade and having an edge arranged in opposite parallel relation with respect to the corresponding edge of the first blade and an inclined tace engaging the inclined bearing tace of the tirst blade, and a rotatable stud carrying an eccentric pin engaging the first blade to slide the latter to cause the inclined bearing faces to act to adjust the relative position of the blades to vary the width ot the slit therebetween.

8. In a device of the type specified, the combination ot apair oi blades arranged with their edges in opposite parallel relationship to provide a slit through which the yarn dra-ws, means for mounting the blades to adapt them to be moved laterally with respect to each other and toward and away from each other, said blades having opposite engaging taces inclined at an angle to the slit, and means to effect relative lateral movei ment between the blades to cause their inclined faces to act to adjust the blades toward -or away from each other to vary the width ot the slit therebetween.

9. In a device of the type specified, the combination ot a holder, a blade slidable laterally of the holder and provided with a yarn-engaging edge projecting therefrom and a bearing face inclined to the direction of said yarn-engaging edge, a second blade slidet able in the holder toward and away 'from the first blade and having a yarn-engaging edge arranged in opposite parallel relation with respect to the corresponding edge ot the first blade and an inclined bearing face engaging the inclined tace on the first blade, a

spring acting to urge the blades toward each other to maintain their inclined faces in engagement, and a rotatable eccentric acting on the first blade to slide the latter to cause the inclined bearing faces to adjust the second blade toward and away therefrom.

10. In a device of the type specified, the combination ot a slotted holder, a blade held in said holder and slidable laterally thereof, said blade formed with a yarn-enga ging face at one side of the holder, a second blade mounted to slide in the holder in a direction at right-angles to the sliding movement of the first blade and having a yarn-engaging edge disposed in opposite parallel relation with respect to the corresponding edge of the first blade, said blades having cooperating faces inclined to the direction of their yarn-engaging edges and the first blade formed with a slot in its inclined tace, and a stud rotatable in the holder and provided with an eccentric pin engaging the slot in the first blade to cause it to slide the latter to adjust the relative position of the blades to vary the width of the slit therebetween.

1l. In a device of the type specified, the combination of a holder having a slot in its tace, a blade held in said slot and slidable laterally of the holder, a second blade held in the slot and formed with an opening having its sides straddling the sides of the holder to adapt said blade to slide toward and away from the first blade, said blades having their edges disposed in opposite parallel relationship to torni a slit through which the yarn draws and also provided with opposite engaging faces inclined at an angle to the slit, a spring for urging the blades toward each other to maintain their inclined faces in engagement, and a stud rotatable in the holder and provided with an eccentric engaging the first blade to cause it to slide the latter to adjust the opposite blade toward and away therefrom to vary the width of the slit therebetween.

12. In a device of the type specilied, the combination of a holder formed with a slot in its face and a lateral bore having a counterbore opening into the slot, a blade slidable laterally ot the holder in engagement with one edge of its slot and formed with an opposite inclined edge, a second blade mounted in the slot in the holder and cut away with an opening straddling the sides thereof, said second blade having an inclined face engaging the oppositely inclined face of the first blade and a yarn-engaging edge arranged in opposite parallel relation with respect to the corresponding edge on the first blade, a cover-plate extendino' across the slot in the holder to retain the lblades in place therein, a stud held in the bore in the holder and provided with a head received in the counterbore and an eccentric pin projecting therefrom engaging the first blade, and a concaveconveX spring abutting the head on the stud and acting against the blades to press them against the cover-plate on the holder.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

GEORGE N. TAYLOR. 

